Journal of Medical Optometry Policies

General Principles:

Peer Review:
All submitted manuscripts will undergo a rigorous double-blind peer-review process by a team on the editorial board.

Ethical Conduct:
The journal strictly adheres to the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) guidelines and expects all authors to uphold the highest ethical standards in research conduct and manuscript preparation.

Author Responsibilities:

Originality:
Manuscripts must present original research that has not been previously published or is not under consideration for publication elsewhere.

Authorship:
All authors must make significant contributions to the research and agree to be listed as authors.

Disclosure of Conflicts of Interest:
Authors must disclose any potential conflicts of interest, financial or otherwise, that may influence their research findings.

Data Integrity:
Authors must provide accurate data and methodology, including appropriate statistical analysis.

Plagiarism:
Zero tolerance for plagiarism; submissions will be screened for plagiarism using appropriate software.

Peer Review Process:

Reviewer Selection:
The editor will select at least two independent reviewers with relevant expertise to assess the manuscript.

Review Criteria:
Reviewers will evaluate the manuscript based on originality, scientific rigor, methodology, clarity of presentation, and significance to the field.

Reviewer Confidentiality:
Reviewers must maintain confidentiality of the manuscript throughout the review process.

Editorial Decisions:

Acceptance:
Manuscripts deemed to be of high quality and aligned with the journal’s scope will be accepted for publication.

Revisions:
Authors may be requested to revise their manuscript based on reviewer feedback.

Rejection:
Manuscripts that do not meet the journal’s standards may be rejected.

Publication Ethics:

Retraction Policy:
The journal reserves the right to retract a published article if serious ethical concerns are identified, including plagiarism, data fabrication, or undisclosed conflicts of interest.

Complaints Procedure:
Any concerns regarding the publication process or potential ethical violations should be reported to the Editor-in-Chief.

Conflict of Interest:
All authors submitting manuscripts to the Journal of Medical Optometry must disclose any potential conflicts of interest, including financial, personal, or professional relationships that could be perceived as influencing the research findings presented in the manuscript. This disclosure should be made during submission and should include details regarding funding sources, consulting arrangements, stock ownership, or any other relevant relationships with entities that may have a vested interest in the research topic.”

Compliance with Ethical Guidelines:
All studies involving human subjects must comply with the Declaration of Helsinki and be reviewed and approved by an Institutional Review Board (IRB). Studies involving animals must follow the principles outlined in the “Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals” or equivalent national guidelines, and be approved by an Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC).

Informed Consent:
For human studies, authors must clearly state how informed consent was obtained from participants, including details about the study purpose, potential risks and benefits, and the right to withdraw from the study.

Data Privacy:
Researchers must protect the privacy of human subjects by anonymizing data where possible and only using identifiable information when absolutely necessary with appropriate consent.

Animal Welfare:
When describing animal experiments, authors must provide detailed information on animal housing, care, procedures, and steps taken to minimize pain and distress. Justification for animal use should be clearly stated.